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As by-the-numbers as anything the band has done in the past twenty years, a perfectly executed formula hidden underneath layers of precise guitars and aggressive arrangements.
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Metallica
Death Magnetic
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AMG Review of Death Magnetic
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music GuideCall Death Magnetic Kirk Hammett's revenge. Famously browbeaten into accepting Lars Ulrich and producers Bob Rock's dictum that guitar solos were "dated" and thereby verboten for 2003's St. Anger -- a fraught recording chronicled on the 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster -- Metallica's lead guitarist dominates this 2008 sequel, playing with an euphoric fury not heard in years, if not decades. This aesthetic shift isn't because Hammett suddenly rules the band: powerless to add solos to St. Anger, he couldn't reinstate them without the blessing of Ulrich and James Hetfield, the politburo of Metallica. The duo suffered some combination of shame and humility in the wake of the muddled St. Anger and Monster, convincing these two unmovable forces to change direction. They ditched longtime producer Rock -- who'd helmed every album since 1991's breakthrough blockbuster Metallica -- in favor of Rick Rubin, patron saint of all veteran rockers looking to reconnect with their early spark. Rubin may be the go-to producer for wayward superstars but as the producer of Slayer, he's also rooted in thrash, so he understands the core of Metallica's greatness and gently steers them back to basics on Death Magnetic.
Of course, Metallica's basics are pretty complex: intertwined guitar riffs, frenetic solos, and thunderous double-bass drums stitched together as intricate seven-minute suites. Metallica slowly weaned themselves away from labyrinthine metal during the '90s, tempering their intensity, straightening out riffs, spending nearly as much time exploring detours as driving the main road, all the while losing sight of their identity. This culminated in the confused St. Anger, a transparent and botched attempt at returning to their roots, crippled by the chaos surrounding the departure of bassist Jason Newsted. With all their problems sorted out in public -- including replacing Newsted with Robert Trujillo, who acquiesces to the Metallica custom of being buried far, far in the mix -- the group embraces every gnarled, ugly thing they eschewed in the years since "Metallica." Death Magnetic bounces the band back to the days before Bob Rock, roughly sounding as if it could come after ...And Justice for All. Such a deliberate revival of the glory days can be tricky, as it could make a group seem stuck in the past -- or, just as badly, they can get essential elements wrong -- but Death Magnetic is a resounding success because they hunker down and embrace their core strengths, recognizing that their greatest asset is that nobody else makes noise in the same way as they do.
That's the pleasure of Death Magnetic: hearing Metallica sound like Metallica again. Individual songs and, especially, Hetfield's lyrics -- less the confessional ballast of St. Anger, more a traditional blend of angst and terror -- are secondary to how the band sounds, how they spit, snarl, and surge, how they seem alive. Metallica isn't replicating moves they made in the '80s, they're reinvigorated by the spirit of their early years, adding shading they've learned in the '90s, whether it's the symphonic tension of "The Unforgiven III" or threading curdled blues licks through the thrash. Listening to the band play, it's hard not to thrill at Metallica's mastery of aggression and escalation. There is no denying that the band is older and settled, no longer fueled by the hunger and testosterone that made their '80s albums so gripping, but on Death Magnetic older doesn't mean less potent. Metallica is still vitally violent and on this terrific album -- a de facto comeback, even if they never really went away -- they're finally acting like they enjoy being a great rock band.
Review: Metallica - Death Magnetic
In Pictures: Metallica at London's 02
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DiS photographer Gary Wolstenholme was at the O2 last night to capture every last grip and grimace from rock legends Metallica's fan club Death Magnetic launch party
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Metallica Death Magnetic (Quick Review)
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Well, it's not St Anger at least...On a different note, why didn't I know about Volbeat sooner then right this minute?
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METALLICA’S DEATH MAGNETIC (VINCE NEILSTEIN’S TAKE)
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--- - Metallica will never write Master of Puppets or anything like pre-Black Album material ever again. Get over it. To expect them to do so is not only unrealistic given that the members have, you know, changed in the last 20 years; it would also be the worst thing artistically they could possibly do. No one [...]- Metallica
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METALLICA’S DEATH MAGNETIC (AXL ROSENBERG’S TAKE)
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--- - For seven glorious minutes and eight fantastic seconds, I thought that Death Magnetic might be the record that Metallica should have released after the Black Album - a record that melds the pop-metal sensibilities the band adopted in the 90s with the thrashier, proggier Metallica of the 80s. That’s exactly the length of time it [...]- Metallica
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METALLICA’S DEATH MAGNETIC (DALLAS COYLE’S TAKE)
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--- - "I don't know about all of you, but Metallica has been and will always be my favorite band in the whole world. I put down the trumpet and picked up the guitar for one reason: Metallica. When I used to draw comic books for 8 hours a day I never did it better while I [...]"- Metallica
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METALLICA’S DEATH MAGNETIC (CHRISTOPHER RODDY’S TAKE)
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--- - When considering their latest album, it's important to bear in mind the lasting power of Metallica's legacy, especially when taking into consideration the weak efforts of the past couple decades. This is a band that had had a hand in building up the traditional Thrash framework throughout the 80s into an impenetrable fortress. But the [...]- Metallica
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METALLICA’S DEATH MAGNETIC (SAMMY O’HAGAR’S TAKE)
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--- - With Death Magnetic, Metallica's latest attempt at getting back into the good graces/wallets of their fan base, the band officially descends into the realm of the Rolling Stones of metal. The Stones, of course, have the stronger legacy and the better/more extensive catalog of songs. But both bands have four unimpeachable albums to their credit [...]- Metallica
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metallica: the day that never comes
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--- - |- YouTube - Metallica: The Day That Never Comes from Death Magnetic out 9/12. i dont know, folks. it goes against every moral fibre i have in my body to hop back on the metallica train cause frankly i think they have become the douchiest of douchebags, but still i kinda like this. i still cant get [...] ~~- Metallica
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New METALLICA "Death Magnetic" Streaming NOW on iHeartMusic.com!!!
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Get your first (FREE) listen (before the release date of 9/12) to "Death Magnetic" on http://www.iheartmusic.com/metallica
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New Metallica - "The Day That Never Comes"
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If "Shackler's Revenge " didn't slake your thirst for the heroes of yesterdecade, here's another shot. As they've made unavoidably clear, Death Magnetic Metallica is all about bringing it back to the classic era. Clocking in at 7:56, you'd think this was the track to make good on that. And you'd be right! For the last three minutes. At 5:00 "The Day That Never Comes" becomes the last half of "O...
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THE NEW METALLICA SINGLE HAS BEEN UNVEILED
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"The Day That Never Comes," the new single from Metallica's forthcoming Death Magnetic, is now streaming here. It sounds an awful lot like something the band that recorded Load trying to record "One," which is to say, I don't like it. It seems oddly passionless to me, flat and without verve, boring and mediocre at best. [...]~~
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THE INCURABLE TRAGEDY: INTO ETERNITY ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU LEFT THEM
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Last week, a bunch of self-satisfied millionaires released an album called Dead Magnets or something, and in all the name-calling and fan-rage that ensued, I became so emotionally shattered after being called a "talentless hack" who should "go play Guitar Hero" that I was forced to delay a review for a release that was actually [...]
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METALLICA’S DEATH MAGNETIC (DALLAS COYLE’S TAKE)
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--- - "I don't know about all of you, but Metallica has been and will always be my favorite band in the whole world. I put down the trumpet and picked up the guitar for one reason: Metallica. When I used to draw comic books for 8 hours a day I never did it better while I [...]"- Metallica
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METALLICA SOUND SLOPPY
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Track:This Was Just Your Life
"That Was Just Your Life" is probably still my favorite track off of Death Magnetic, so I was excited to watch this footage of the band playing it live that was posted on Blabbermouth this morning. Unfortunately, not only is the footage shot incredibly poorly (nice vantage point from the 8 trillionth row right as the [...]
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METALLICA’S DEATH MAGNETIC (DAVID BEE ROTH’S TAKE)
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--- - It's bad. The new Metallica album is bad. Let me explain why this shouldn't be surprising. This is the album that Metallica thought you wanted. This is the throwback to that classic era of the late eighties and early nineties that everyone was begging them to create. This is the album that everyone in that battered-wife [...]- Metallica
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this morning.
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--- - |- a. did you guys see Bon Iver on Conan last night? find it please. I'd like to post it. b. c. Camille Rose Garcia is in NYC, check her paintings out HERE> d. he's my fav… e. Oh Metallica… HERE. their pitchfork review HERE. f. Sigur Ros in the papers HERE. g. Love this PICTURE. h. Obama being HIMSELF. i. NSFW.. I can't tell when this pi
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METALLICA’S DEATH MAGNETIC (SAMMY O’HAGAR’S TAKE)
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--- - With Death Magnetic, Metallica's latest attempt at getting back into the good graces/wallets of their fan base, the band officially descends into the realm of the Rolling Stones of metal. The Stones, of course, have the stronger legacy and the better/more extensive catalog of songs. But both bands have four unimpeachable albums to their credit [...]- Metallica
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New Metallica Album Includes "The Unforgiven III"
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While Metallica's Death Magnetic, the band's ninth studio album, idles quietly in oblivion until its unknown September release date, the metal band have gone on to tease us with its tracklist. The Rick Rubin-produced 10-track record is the first time the band have worked on an entire studio album with current bassist Robert Trujillo.Among Death Magnetic's cryptic titles is the third version of ...
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New Metallica Album A Shout Out To Lost "Rock & Roll Martyrs"
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While new details the Metallica's Death Magnetic begin to surface, frontman James Hetfield is giving fans a little more insight on the album title. "It started out as kind of a tribute to people that have fallen in our business, like Layne Stanley and a lot of the people that have died, basically — rock and roll martyrs of sorts. And then it kind of grew from there," Hetfield explained of the .
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Which Version Of Metallica's "Death Magnetic" Would You Buy?
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Track:Death Magnetic
This isn't any new news but I saw that it was missing from the mog-o-shpere and I wanted some input. Since May Metallica have been airing Death Magnetic studio footage via their subscriber site MissionMetallica.com. Still no specific September release date has been given for the Rick Rubin-produced album, but Metallica has revealed (and this is what was missing from the mog-o-sphere) that it wi...
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Hurry! Watch New Music Video For Metallica's "The Day That Never Comes" Before It's Taken Down
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I'm guessing there's a good two hours until this thing gets taken down from YouTube... so enjoy it while it lasts. For those latecomers, Metallica playing and kicking up dust in the desert intertwines with politically-charged storyline. Soldiers are fighting in the Middle East, getting shot, then a car pulls up. The soldiers don't know whether to shoot the people in it, possible suicide bombers...
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Metallica Makes A Huge Debut With "Death Magnetic"
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Metallica sold 490,000 copies of their new album Death Magnetic this week. They pulled those numbers in less than a week. The Rick Rubin-produced Death Magnetic was released around the world last Friday, instead of on the usual new music Tuesday. According to "Billboard.com":http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003850675 this was Metallica's highest first week...
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Live Video! Outside Lands, Reading & Leeds: Metallica, Beck, Broken Social Scene, Raconteurs
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The internet seemed like a quiet place yesterday (not too many people commenting), which made me think that music lovers were still re-cooperating from a long weekend of festival-ing. In the UK crowds were getting their faces rocked at the Reading & Leeds festival, where Metallica's set included "The Day That Never Comes," a newbie from their forthcoming "Death Magnetic." In US many flocked to ...
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This is for all you POSUERS out there
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yeah,you never were a fan and you always look like the kid with the most candy in yo pocketEAT MEreview forthcoming...MAYBE
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METALLICA: 'All Nightmare Long' Video Released
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All Nightmare Long, the new video from METALLICA, can be viewed at Metallica. com. METALLICA performed All Nightmare Long live for the first time this past Friday night ( December 5 ) during the band's headlining appearance at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. METALLICA will wrap up the current leg of its North American tour on December 20 in Oakland.
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Metallica Has Posted Death Magnetic
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For all you metal fans, here is your link to hear the new album, before you buy it.Devour Magnetic, before the link is gone!Click this or the CD Cover to listen.
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 "Death Magnetic")
